Complaint Review: LA Fitness - Toms River New Jersey

After being a personal trainer for 25 years and having trained at virtually all of the other gyms in Ocean County, particularly, the Jersey Shore, this gym has to be, hands-down, the most mismanaged and filthiest gyms around.

You will invariably find upper management M.I.A. should you have any type of concern at the gym. If a machine is broken or inadequately functioning, which, not surprisingly, is very often, the Operations Manager, Eric, seems utterly clueless. Instead of periodically walking around the gym and visually inspecting the weights, dumbbells, machines, and even the pool downstairs, Eric is stationed right behind the front counter checking members in when they arrive with their key tags. Excuse me, but that responsibility is delegated to the front desk help. Eric is the manager of the entire gym, but yet, he only seems to acknowledge what happens at that diminutive front counter. How can a salaried employee purposefully act so oblivious? Such a clarion example of management gone awry. I was wholly shocked to learn that alerting the repair guy of all necessary repairs to the entire gym falls on Eric's shoulder's. But yet, he invariably waits for you to come to him when you see anything that needs repairing. Umm, that's not my job, it's yours Eric. Please remind us once again why we are paying so much in membership fees per month to police YOUR gym? Perhaps, you should share your manager salary with everyone who does your job for you while you sit back and chillax.

The General Manager of the entire gym, Ralph Kistner, reminds me of the captain of the RMS Titanic, Edward J. Smith, who heroically perished with his sinking ship. But, unfortunately, Ralph is no hero. In fact, Ralph is the one who is at the helm of this multi-million dollar behemoth but yet, inexplicably, is steering the gym right down into the abyss. Ralph is his very own iceberg.

While employed at LA Fitness, I personally witnessed Ralph's impotence and inability to manage this gym quite frequently. He'd rather mysteriously “disappear” during his shift whenever a gym member expressed any type of dissatisfaction with anything related to the gym. His repudiation of his appointed authority became so well known throughout this gym that anytime a member had any type of question or concern, Ralph's perpetual pass-the-buck attitude pointed directly to his Assistant General Manager, Tyler Lee Russell. It was invariably up to Tyler to address every single issue in this gym. Pathetically, Tyler's very own ineptitude overshadowed Ralph's ineptness. This imbecilic management duo colloquially became dubbed “The Blind Leading the Blind.”

Moreover, Tyler would rather stand right outside the gym and perpetually smoke cigarette after cigarette throughout his shift. Tyler is second in command at LA but his primary objective is to vigorously reel unknowing victims into the gym to become members. Once you pay your membership dues, you are no longer his concern.

By the way, for an arrogant and smug 21 year old, he's d**n good at ripping you off. He's sneaky and slimy and once you sit in his chair, you, too, will be mesmerized by his chicanery. He can literally sell ice to an Eskimo. Beware, his desk is the second one in the front, right next to the GM himself. If you are sitting in his chair for longer than 5 minutes, it's merely too late at that point. He would have already had you sign away your hard earned money. You know the old adage, a fool and his money are soon parted.

Here's a wise tip though, always use your credit card so that you can later have the dubious charges contested by your credit card company. I spoke at length to current member Sandy who credibly confirmed how the smoke and mirrors technique is perpetuated at LA Fitness. In the end, her credit card company threatened to sue LA and management, fully cognizant of their illicit wrongdoing, was forced to refund the entire amount it fraudulently charged to her credit card.

After going to this gym since last year, I am relieved that my eyes are no longer wide shut. I have seen the decades-old decrepit carpet fraying and unraveling, perilously causing a trip and fall hazard. On a daily basis, dumbbells are left all over the gym floor, when they should remain in the typical designated weight area. I've personally witnessed unwitting members trip over these precariously and negligently placed steel dumbbells. Also, once something is dropped on the floor, such as a piece of gym paper from the dispenser, you will undoubtedly see that identical piece of rubbish in the same spot the very next day.

In a significantly alarming phenomenon, I personally contacted Ralph's, Tyler's and Eric's boss, Mr. Louis Pinto, III, many, many weeks ago to personally notify him about this gym's lack of feasible management. Mr. Pinto is the District Manager for all LA Fitness gyms throughout New York and New Jersey and is the top guy. When you have a problem at any local LA Fitness gym, Mr. Pinto is the guy you contact for resolution. Regrettably, Mr. Pinto has chosen to never return my specifically detail oriented voice mail message. So now, he, too, is intentionally condoning the inmates running the asylum atmosphere at his very own Toms River LA Fitness.

LA Fitness management, it's time to vigilantly do your job. No more abdication. I have spoken to several former LA members who expressed the analogous sentiment I have aforesaid documented. This week alone, over ten members canceled their memberships at this management-neglected gym and every sequential week the numbers of former members augment. I regularly keep track on my Facebook page of these disgruntled former members who contact me about this distinct gym.

In fact, I was just speaking to Toms River Police Officer Miehl yesterday at LA Fitness who, in no uncertain terms whatsoever, admitted to canceling his LA membership predominately because of the incessant mismanagement, filthy and putrid conditions existing and management inexplicably turning a blind eye and deaf ear to viable concerns of its very own members.

Please remember this Eric, Tyler, General Manager Ralph and District Manager Louis, when the customer comes first the customer will last. Us former members would rather take our business to and spend our hard earned money at a gym that actually values its members. You guys have proven time after time that we are effectively meaningless and worthless to you!!